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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24436087">Working Spirit</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChainedKura/pseuds/ChainedKura'>ChainedKura</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Spirit Animals AU [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Spirit Animals AU</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 08:41:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,405</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24436087</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChainedKura/pseuds/ChainedKura</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When you had been waiting your entire childhood for an amazing spirit animal and fate has other ideas in mind, it will take a bit of emotional support to overcome the disappointment and see the silver lining.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dan Howell/Phil Lester</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Spirit Animals AU [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1858552</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Working Spirit</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">


        <li>
            A translation of

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24435988">Espíritu Trabajador</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChainedKura/pseuds/ChainedKura">ChainedKura</a>.
        </li>
        <li>
            A translation of

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24435988">Espíritu Trabajador</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChainedKura/pseuds/ChainedKura">ChainedKura</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello people, hope you enjoy this short story. It was an idea that slowly grew on my brain and took me a while because I'm shit when it comes to sit down and write.</p>
<p>As always thanks to the wonderful <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaenaBlackfyre"><strong>DaenaBlackfyre</strong></a>, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnieDeOdair"><strong>AnnieDeOdair</strong></a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/HappyOreoF9"><strong>HappyOreo</strong></a> for always supporting me in my adventures in this new world of fanfics and helping me editing my stories. I love you all with all my soul.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The last rays of light entered through the window of his living room. Dan was sitting on the next sofa doing something on his computer. Phil did the same on his cell phone. It was a simple but at the same time so comforting part of his routine. Lying on the sofas in their apartment at the end of a long day, each in his own spiral on the internet and enjoying the silent presence of the other at his side.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They could spend hours surfing the web for no particular purpose, sharing some comments when a post on tumblr or an article on wikipedia was especially interesting. Phil was reading one of those posts right now. A Twitter thread where people shared their experiences with their coming of age rite. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>To be honest when he was a kid he was dazed by the topic. From a very young age he adored everything related to animals and when, at the age of 4, he discovered the meaning of a guiding spirit, he became obsessed with it. Coming of age, recognizing his spirit animal and accessing it’s mystical energies became his most cherished longing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Years later he witnessed the process in first person, when his brother Martyn reached 18 years old and a powerful translucent moose appeared behind his body. Phil remembered the awesome presence of the spirit and how it slowly moved inside his brother to support him for the rest of his life. That incredible experience and the subtle but distinguishable changes in his brother only served to make him even more eager.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was so exciting to think about what a wonderful beast would appear on his birthday. To think about the incredible qualities that would be granted to him when that moment arrived. He spent sleepless nights imagining the powerful roar that the lion's spirit would make, or how frightened everyone would be when they saw the monitor lizard crawling near him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>To say that when the day finally came was a disappointment would be an understatement. That January 30 when all the mystical energies that were sleeping in his body took shape, it was none of what he had imagined. As if it were a joke, the spirit of a small woodpecker appeared behind him and settled on his shoulder for a second before entering his body. It’s not like he wasn't happy to finally have his guiding spirit and became an adult at the same time, but the reality is that he had waited for something more impressive.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The woodpecker was not such a terrible thing, at least it wasn't a boring insect, but it wasn't great at all. Not even within the category of birds. Phil couldn't imagine any useful skills his spirit could bring him. When he thought of woodpeckers the only thing that came to mind was the incessant sound they made when knocking on wood, in addition to the silly laughter of his popular animated version.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The vibration of his cell phone in his hand tore him from his thoughts. When checking the screen, a small icon indicated that he had just received an email. It was probably a message regarding the merchandising line they were about to launch. He was about to press the notification but a voice in his head reminded him of one of his new rules. ‘No answering work emails after 6 PM.’ He was working on finding a better balance between his profession and his personal life and those kinds of rules were necessary.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A little to distract himself from the anxiety generated by ignoring that message, he returned to the thread he was reading. After a while and several stories similar to his, curiosity began to grow. Despite knowing each other for years, sharing an apartment, and a long-term relationship, Dan and Phil had never spoken in depth about the history of their respective coming of age. It's not like it was a secret or something like that. After all, they both knew what the other's spirit was and had a general idea of how it was when they obtained it, but they had never discussed the subject beyond that. Phil didn't pay much attention to his spirit animal, and apparently neither did Dan.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dan.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hmm?" He whispered back and looked up from his computer to Phil.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Do you like your spirit animal?" The question that came out of nowhere seemed to take him by surprise.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hmm, I guess so," he replied after thinking for a few seconds, "it's not like I really have a choice."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh right ..." A slight disappointment could be heard in his voice, the resignation implicit in that answer was not what he was expecting.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Where did that question come from?" Dan retorted with a questioning look. "I thought you weren't interested in the subject."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What makes you think that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You never talk about it. Which is quite strange considering that there are animals involved. Although they are translucent ones made of a strange energy that nobody knows where it comes from.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"It's not like I'm not interested ..." Philip stopped for a second, searching for the right words to express himself. “To be honest, when I was a kid I used to be obsessed with them.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"That sounds more like Philly," Dan joked, clearly trying to lighten the mood a little. “So?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well, let's just say that when I got my spirit it wasn't exactly what I expected."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dan didn’t utter a word, while looking at him with intrigue plastered on his face, waiting for him to continue with his story.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"It was a bit of a disappointment, you know? I was expecting something cooler. Like a lion.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You're not cool enough to be a lion." A mischievous smile painted on his face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey!” Phil replied, smiling too. “I am extremely cool you know.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Besides the woodpecker suits you," Dan continued as he rolled his eyes at the comment and turned his attention to his computer screen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was not the first time he had heard that phrase. His family had said the same thing to him on his eighteenth birthday. Phil never managed to understand it,  he couldn't see what part of him could be represented by a woodpecker.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I don't get it, you know?" His voice was almost a whisper. “I don't know what unites me to my spirit, I can't see it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Phil noticed how his mate put his computer aside so he could get up from his sofa and sit next to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You are kidding, right?” Dan said in a deep tone, looking him straight in the eye. “There are thousands of things that identify you with your spirit ... can't you really see them?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Phil shook his head. The sudden change in attitude and the intensity of the mahogany eyes watching him made his heart pound. Dan used to be less serious in this type of talk. Normally he chose to keep a joking mood, teasing him with scathing comments that Phil knew very well were displays of affection. Why was it suddenly so different?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Woodpeckers live their lives at their own pace, distinguishing themselves from other birds by creating their own unconventional path." Dan began to speak without running his gaze. “They are incredibly diligent, hard workers, and incite others to be productive, to the point of becoming a bit irritating in the process.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Phil was surprised at the sudden exposition. Since when did Dan know so much about the abilities of spirit animals?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Do any of these things sound familiar to you?" He continued, "I can keep going with the help it gives you with migraines or even how helpful the primordial attraction to birds is."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"How do you know so much about the woodpecker spirit?" Phil was able to ask once he was out of his initial stupor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I may have read something about it," Dan commented, averting his gaze a little, a slight shade of pink showing on his cheeks. “And the more I read the more sense it made.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Surprise invaded his body once again when he heard his partner. Had Dan taken the trouble to read about his spirit and what it stands for? It sounded so unreal. Why would he do something like that? Was he always interested in this kind of thing but didn't mention it?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You never mentioned your interest in spirits," was the only thing he could think of to answer as he processed the recent information.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Truthfully, I couldn't care less," he clarified quickly. His tone turned serious again, "I was interested to know about the woodpecker.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The understanding of that phrase hit him like a truck. Dan was not interested in knowing about some generic spirit animal. He wanted to know about </span>
  <em>
    <span>his </span>
  </em>
  <span>spirit animal, about </span>
  <em>
    <span>him. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Even after so long he sought to understand and know him on a deeper level. Even when that information came from something so not Dan as reading about paranormal forces without a recognized scientific explanation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A sudden wave of feelings washed over his body and there was nothing he could do to control it. Letting himself be carried away by those emotions, Phil closed the gap that separated him from his partner, leaving him a chaste and quick kiss as a gift. Dan's face showed surprise for a small second and Phil gloated at the image. He loved being able to surprise him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dan kept staring at him, but nothing remained of the previous intensity. It seemed to have melted to make way for one of those looks that fans had aptly named ‘Heart Eyes Howell’. Phil was sure his face reflected the same emotion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Without a moment's hesitation, Phil approached his roommate again, this time slowly and with a provocative smile on his face. Dan's lips were soft against his and tasted exactly like that first kiss on the Manchester wheel all those years ago. The love his partner expressed to him set a fire inside him. A passion that, in the comfort of their joint home, they could enjoy without restrictions. The long nights of frustration because they couldn’t share the same physical space and demonstrate their feelings with actions were long in the past.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dan responded to the kiss with a passion that competed with his friend's. Phil felt his partner's wet tongue lick his lips and that was the signal necessary to deepen the kiss. He opened his lips and let that intruder enter his mouth. The intensity of that kiss was such that a few seconds later they were both parting their lips for air.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As soon as his breathing had returned to normal Dan put a hand on the back of Phil’s neck and drew him back. Dan settled himself on the couch to lie on it and gently pulled Phil back atop of   his body. The position was a little awkward because of how tall they were, but Phil wouldn't want to be anywhere else. That moment, sharing heated kisses on the couch of their living room, as if they were two teenagers, seemed like paradise. They continued kissing, intertwining their tongues in their desperate dance of affection.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Phil disconnected his lips and Dan gave a small growl of dissatisfaction. With a smile on his face, Phil approached his partner's neck and started kissing him there. First soft and chaste, a simple brush of his lips against the sensitive skin. Then deeper and more wetly. Dan tensed at the contact, gripping the fabric of his shirt tightly and letting out soft moans.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Normally Dan hated anything near his neck, but when it came to Phil all that dislike turned to pleasure. Phil knew how erogenous that area was and took every opportunity he had to provoke him. And it seemed to be working, he could feel him writhing with pleasure.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dan's hands were like two snakes crawling up his back, caressing it and pushing him against his body, trying to eliminate the little distance between them. Phil could feel Dan's desire grow between his hips and, without stopping his kisses, he stroked his chest over his shirt. When he found the place he was looking for he stroked it gently and got the reaction he expected. Dan gave a sweet moan as he lifted his hips for more contact.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suddenly Phil quickly got up from the sofa. Dan rested his troubled gaze on him, his eyes were a prayer asking him to return to where he was previously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where are you going? Come here,” Dan complained. “We were not done.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I was thinking of going to the bedroom," he replied with a smile on his lips, "but if you want to continue on the sofa ..."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His eyes sparkled at the proposition but, after thinking for a second, he got up and started heading towards the room. Phil took his hand and followed him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"We should make a video about it," Phil said, stroking Dan's cheek.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were lying on their bed, covered almost to their faces, trying to avoid the cold in the room. Until a moment ago, room temperature had not been a problem, but now, once their bodies relaxed after the ecstasy that good sex gives, the cold seemed to seep into each of their pores.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I don't think I'm ready to talk about our sex lives on camera," he joked without having a clear idea of what Phil meant by 'it'.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I wasn't talking about that," he replied in a sharp tone as a slight blush crossed his cheeks. “I was referring to our spirit animals.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh!” He mentioned in surprise. "Do you want to do something with that?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I thought it might be a good idea, considering how much you know about it." Clear enthusiasm colored his voice. “We could do something like a trivia, where each one guesses what qualities of the other are aligned with their spirit.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hmm, it might be interesting ..." Dan answered, pondering the idea.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They continued to discuss concepts and ideas for what would be Phil's next video well into the night. He was excited to learn more about his spirit and Dan's as well. Perhaps all the disappointment with the woodpecker had been a bit of an exaggeration on his part.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe it was a bit against the no-work after 6 PM rule, but he was excited by the video. After all, according to Dan, it was part of his spirit to be a workaholic.</span>
</p>
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